Otago

Central Otago is a place where you can relax, indulge and rejuvenate on holiday.Want to experience true solitude and get close to nature in an inspiring and timeless land?With fewer than 17,000 permanent residents in an area of 10,000 km² you will experience a change of pace in Central Otago. Visitors are silenced by the grandeur of breathtaking vistas and energised by the dormant power in this tumble of mountain, river, rock and tussock. The clear air makes mountains so close they seem within an arm’s reach, the sky at night a star-studded blaze of twinkling lights.

Here you can leave the stresses of work behind and just relax, soak in the atmosphere and let the rejuvenation process begin. Put your feet up, meet the locals and be treated like a long lost friend rather than a visitor. Most are reluctant to leave, but they take home treasured memories, and often return.

If its action you want, then head for the hills in search of historic sites, bike the rail trail, take a 4WD tour, kayak down rivers, fish for trout, swim or boat in turquoise blue rivers and lakes, try curling in winter or explore the 150km mountain biking and walking track through the heart of Central Otago,

Central Otago is an exciting multi-sport destination. Registrations for the popular autumn Goldrush event fill up within hours of opening. Competitors thrash it out across 375 kilometres of old pioneering trails of the gold rush era; kayaking, mountain biking, road biking and running through the back-country.